Substance for treatment of hemorrhagic diathesis



Patented Mar. 19, 1935 UNITED STATES SUBSTANCE FOR TREATlVlENT OF HEMORRHAGIG DIATHESIS Samuel M. Peck, New York, N. Y.

No Drawing.

Application March 3, 1934,

Serial No. 713,855

2 Claims.

In applicants copending application Ser. No. 627,809 filed August 6, 1932, there is described the use of the venom of the cotton mouth moccasin for treatment of hemorrhagic diathesis.

The present invention relates to substances for treatment of hemorrhagic diathesis and embodies, more specifically, a compound includin snake venom for preventing hemorrhages. Unsuccessful attempts to produce a Schwartzman phenomenon (local hemorrhagic necrosis following local and intravenous injections of bacterial toxic filtrates with fungus extracts) induced the present inventor to hope that previous local injections of a vascular poison might render the reaction site more sensitive to hypothetical toxic substances in fungus cultures. Accordingly, snake venom was employed without success. Where snake venom was so employed, it was found that, after the lapse of fourteen days to one month, between the time of injection of rabbits with snake venom and the elicitation of a Schwartzman phenomenon, a large number of the animals became refractory to a Schwartzman phenomenon. No circulating antibodies could be demonstrated to explain the refractory state and since antivenin had no effect on the course of the Schwartzman phenomenon, the induced refractory state is thought to be due to some change in the vessel walls which makes them resistant to toxic filtrates and thus prevents hemorrhage. With this in mind, the present inventor then treated, with snake venom, diseases which can be grouped under hemorrhagic diathesis. Very astonishing and marked results obtained indicate that the snake venom produces a definite condition or reaction which prevents, or retards hemorrhage.

In carrying out the invention, the venom of the copperhead has been found to be particularly effective and has been found to be suitable inasmuch as it has a tendency, when injected in sufficient concentration, to produce a local hemorrhage. In this connection it is believed that the substance used raises the resistance of blood vessels to hemorrhage by an effect directly upon the blood vessels or by the production of circulating bodies (antihemorrhagii), or a combination of the two effects.

In administering the substance, a satisfactory dose for an adult is 0.4 cc of a 123000 solution in physiological saline given intradermally or subcutaneously. ,The injections may be given once or twice weekly, the duration of treatment vary- 10 ing with the cases.

A considerable number of patients have been treated, the patients falling into a number of classes or groups. In one group wherein particularly good results have been observed, is a case of 15 epistaxis (idiopathic) which was present for more than a year in a seven year old boy and five cases of functional uterine bleeding also of long duration were treated. Very soon after treatment was begun these cases showed a 20 definite improvement in the form of a reduction in duration and amount of bleeding.

It will thus be seen that the present invention embodies a compound for treating hemorrhagic diathesis, such compound necessarily including a 25 toxin that produces a refractory state to the Schwartzman phenomenon in rabbits. The particular venom used may be varied in accordance with the properties of the venom. To this extent, the present invention is sufiiciently broad 30 to cover compounds composed of ingredients of such natures and is not to be limited, save as defined in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A compound for treatment of hemorrhagic diathesis including a solution of the venom of the copperhead.

2. A compound for treatment of hemorrhagic diathesisincluding venom of the copperhead in a physiological saline solution in the ratio of 1 40 to 3000.

SAMUEL M. PECK. 

